


My Father, My Uncle, and Me

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angus Bluejeans, Angus as a Blupjeans baby, Barry didn't die, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fantasy Racism, no Sazed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-03-27 00:02:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13868805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: “Taako, what if she’s just gone?”“Who?”Barry’s head snapped up at the question, surprise registering on his face for an instant.“Ta- Taako? Taako, I’m…”“What if who’s gone?”Taako was staring at him in confusion now, not understanding, not remembering. Barry leaned forward, scrubbing at his face with one hand while he tried to force his way back up out of the fog that was settling into his mind. He tried to focus on something, anything. The static was filling his mind.“What are we…? Oh, god, Lup… Taako, I’m- I can’t remember her face, Taako. Taako, where-”“Whose face?”Taako was starting to get angry now. He really didn’t remember. Lup. Barry had to keep her name in his mind, had to force himself to keep remember. Even as he felt the static settling into his mind, he fought back. He would not lose her a second time.“Is this Fisher? Taako, k- kill me! Right now! I’ll- I’ll remember if I’m a lich, I can- please, Taako, just kill me! It’ll- I’ll be okay! I can’t forget, I’m, I’m, begging you, please, Taako! Please!”Taako had tears on his face as he raised his wand. Then he lowered it again. He couldn't kill his best friend. So why had he been about to?





	1. Settling In

The first thing that Taako was really conscious of probably should have been the travel wagon in front of him, but it wasn’t. It was the sound of the baby in the arms of the man beside him crying and that man- Barry, his name was Barry- trying to comfort the child.

“Hey, you’re alright, buddy. Daddy’s here.”

Taako scrubbed at his face, trying to get things to line up again. How the hell had he gotten here? Where was here? Slowly, things began to click into place. Sizzle It Up with Taako. Of course. And his best friend, Barry, and his kid, Angus. And they were going to tour the world. Build the brand. Look for... Look for... Adventure. Fame. Glory. Whatever nerd shit Barold was into today.

“Want me to go grab him some milk, my dude?”

Barry looked up, the same odd, distant, confused look on his face that Taako was pretty sure had been on his a moment ago.

“Yeah, Taako, that’d be swell. And uh...I’ll check his diaper, just in case.”

“If it’s diaper business, that’s all you, Barold. Taako don’t do that.”

The elf ducked into the wagon, looking around. Everything was exactly how he liked it. Well no shit, it was his. Of course it was how he liked it. He was kneeling down beside one of the bunks that were pushed up to lie flush against the wall, looking in the fantasy mini-fridge. There were a few already-prepped bottles. Perfect. Barry had made his way into the wagon as well, still trying to cajole the infant into cheerfulness.

“Diaper’s clean and dry, so I hope you’ve got something, Taako.”

When the bottle was proffered, little Ango’s tears quickly became cooes of excitement and his hands stretched out to grab the bottle away from Taako.

“Hell yeah, little dude. You drink that milk.”

Then Taako stretched, looking around. There was the crib, tucked into one corner and filled with blankets and soft toys. There was the box of toys tucked in under a bookshelf build into one wall. The books themselves were a pretty mixed bag of cook books, nerd shit, and some baby books clearly meant for the half-elven member of their adventuring party. There was a map pinned to the wall with the start of a route on it. Barry was standing beside him now, looking the map over with a critical eye.

“If we want to make Goldcliff by tomorrow, we’re going to have to start going. I’ll drive, but you’ve got Angus duty.”

Taako grinned, taking the child without hesitation.

“Come ‘ere to Uncle Taako, baby. I’m gonna teach you all the cool uncle shit you can stand.”

Angus settled against Taako, eyes closing as he relaxed. Taako brushed the boy’s hair back out of his face and around his ears, revealing the little points.

“On second thought, Barold, I’m gonna come sit with you and we’ll see if we can’t let this little guy sleep.”

Barry nodded, jumping down out of the wagon.

“Yeah, it’s been a long day for such a little guy.”

For a moment, Taako wasn’t sure what exactly they’d done, but then he just smiled at his best friend in the world and then down at this little boy he called his nephew without question.

“The longest.”

* * *

Lucretia had stayed nearby when she had sent these particular members of her family out into the world. She hadn’t been certain, even with the careful way she’d handled the redactions to make sure that Taako and Barry remembered they were friends, even with the oh so careful editing she’d done to make sure that Barry knew his own son. Well, she hadn’t been sure it would work. But now she could see the two men climbing in the driver’s seat on the front of the wagon, talking quietly over the sleeping child. Taako was laughing at something Barry had said and Barry was giving him that goofy grin. The one that said he’d pulled a real good goof. She wondered what they were talking about. A part of her wanted to go to them, to take back what she’d done. But...it was holding. Her plan was working, and so she didn’t move. Angus would have a family. Neither Taako nor Barry would be alone. Now all she had to do was hope that she found Lup while she was looking for the relics. She waited, watching until they had gone far down the road before she turned away. They would be the hardest to keep track of, so all she could do was hope that they would be alright.


	2. Show the World

Barry had an odd sleep cycle, for a human. Neither of them could figure out exactly when or why he'd trained his body to sleep for four hours, wake for a bit, and then sleep for another four hours, but clearly he had. It drove Taako up the wall. Not that he would say anything. Sheesh, the guy was already trying to handle being a single dad. Might as well let him have his crazy sleep cycle in peace. Still, Taako couldn't count the number of times he'd gotten up from trancing to find Barry sitting with a magical light hovering over him while he read. Tonight was one of those nights. Angus was asleep, laying on his back with his arms and legs flung out wide and his favorite bear with the red shirt tucked close beside him. Barry was leaning against the crib with his little light floating around his head while he read, murmuring to himself softly about arcane interactions.

“Barold, my dude, it's like... fuck... What time is it even?”

Barry looked up and gave Taako an embarrassed smile.

“Not sure. Ango was fussing for a while so I was reading to him and then I guess I just kept going.”

Taako pinched the bridge of his nose and then gestured broadly, careful to keep his voice down.

“Human boys need to sleep, Barold! I've got Ango if he wakes up.”

He pointed at Barry’s bed and tried not to laugh as Barry stumbled to his feet and moved towards the bed. Within minutes, Barry was asleep and Taako walked over to the crib, looking down at his nephew as the little boy slept. Sometimes, Taako wondered who Ango's mom had been. He knew how some elves could be, how some elves would shack up with a human for a little while and then run when they remembered how differently time flowed for them. And Barry never talked about it. Probably whoever she was, she broke the poor nerd boy's heart. A little spark of anger formed and then fizzled as he looked down at the sleeping child again. Well, whoever she was, fuck her. Barry had gotten the best part of this deal. And by extension, that meant Taako had too. Sure, Angus was only like a year old and that meant he was functionally an excessively loud goldfish, but Taako would absolutely kill a man for this tiny half-elf if it came to that. He reached down into the crib and brushed Angus’ hair back behind his ears again.

“You show the world those little points, my tiny dude. And if anyone fucks with you, you get’em right back.”

* * *

Barry wiped his face on the back of his arm and then smiled to himself. All set up for the show tonight, and early even. Next stop was to go pick up some supplies they needed in town, and maybe a treat for Angus. He was just picking up the box of tools he’d brought down here when a flicker of light appeared in front of him. It spoke with Taako’s voice and Barry grinned.

“Barold. You need to get back here. The little dude is getting close to First Steps territory and you don’t wanna miss that shit.”

The box of tools slipped from Barry’s hands and clattered to the ground. He didn’t even stop to think about cleaning them up or grabbing them or anything. He just ran back to the wagon at full speed. It wasn’t all that far, but he was winded nonetheless. When he saw Angus though, it was worth it. His son had been standing up on his own for a bit now and taking cautious steps while holding something. Just as Barry skidded to a halt though, Angus let go of Taako’s hand.

“Dada! Dada!”

The little boy took a step forward all on his own and then another and another. They were shaky steps, uncertain, lacking the confidence of experience, but Angus was definitely walking. Barry knelt down, his arms outstretched.

“Come here, Buddy.”

Angus wobbled and fell and for a moment it seemed like he was going to cry, but then he pulled himself back to his feet and closed the distance between them. Barry pulled his son into his arms and swung him up into the air.

“Ango, that was amazing!”

Taako was leaning against the wagon, a huge grin on his face.

“You realize this means watching him just got a whole lot harder, right, Barold?”

* * *

Taako was carrying Angus when they walked into the town. They’d left the wagon on the outskirts while they were shopping for supplies. Barry was carrying a basket and running through the list they’d written before they set out this morning. Angus had his head resting on Taako’s shoulders and he was pointing around the small village as they passed things. He was only just starting to talk and he was eager about it even if he only had a few words under his belt.

“Moo! Moo Moo!”

Taako bounced him, grinning.

“You see a cow, little dude? Can you say cow?”

Barry had stopped to look at a greengrocer’s stand while Taako kept going, looking for a few very particular thing he needed and didn’t feel like just transmuting.

“Moo. Mooooo.”

Taako laughed, stopping by the fence where Angus was pointing excitedly.

“That’s a cow. Say cow?”

“Mooooooooo.”

Angus giggled and tugged on Taako’s shirt, reaching for the pointed hat Taako always wore. Pushing his hat back out of reach, Taako adjusted his hold on the squirming toddler.

“None of that, my dude. Taako’s hat is _Taako’s_ hat. Maybe if you’re good, we’ll get you your own hat.”

Taako heard a huff noise near him, but he ignored it. Angus was leaning over Taako’s shoulder now, looking at something.

“Taaaaaaa.”

Taako turned to see what the little boy was so excited about and saw another high elf looking at him, tight-lipped.

“Hail and well met, my dude.”

When this other elf responded, they did so in Elvish, the condescension palpable in the air.

“You are a disgrace to your kind. You and your little mongrel.”

For the briefest moment, Taako considered pulling his wand on this stranger. He almost expected _someone_ to. But then his cautious side took over. He might be able to take whoever this was in a fight, but he wouldn’t put his nephew on the line like that.

“Thanks for the opinions. I’ll definitely remember those. Definitely. _Absolutely_.”

And then he brushed past the other elf as quickly as he could without looking like he was running. He had to find Barry. They’d pick up supplies in the next town.


	3. Hide and Go Seek

“Daddy!”

Angus jumped, trying to see over the table Barry was working on setting up. The little boy was just short enough at three years old that the table blocked his line of sight. 

“Hey, Buddy. Aren’t you supposed to be with Uncle Taako?”

Angus giggled and tried to pull himself up so he could see.

“Uncle ‘Ko is bad at hide and go peek.”

Barry chuckled quietly. Everyone was bad at hide and seek when they played with Angus. There were days Barry was convinced he had a budding rogue on his hands, at least until the little guy had started showing very real interest in magic. 

“Is he still looking for you?”

“Yup! I hid real good, Daddy.” Angus ducked under the table and looked into the box of kitchen supplies that Taako would need for Sizzle It Up! “Can I help, Daddy?”

“Of course you can, Buddy. Why don’t you grab me that bag of apples and we’ll see how long it takes for your Uncle Taako to realize you’re not where he’s looking.”

Angus ran to grab the bag, giggling at the idea.

“I betcha Uncle ‘Ko doesn’t stop looking til we go home.”

* * *

Taako swung his nephew up in his arms, both of them laughing. Then he grinned and set the little boy down.

“Ready for some rad birthday shit, Ango?”

Angus tilted his head to the side, ears perked up. He always kept his messy hair short and tucked in such a way that you could see the points of his ears. Taako was proud of him for that, proud of him for being so comfortable with who and what he was no matter what. 

“Yeah! Do I get a cake, Uncle ‘Ko? Can I help make it? Can we put cookies on it?”

“First thing’s first, birthday boy. We can talk cake after you get present number one.” Taako scooped up a bundle wrapped in brightly colored cloth and held it out to Angus. “Because if you’re gonna be my sous-chef, you’re gonna need one of these.”

Angus untied the bundle and it unfurled. Quickly, he realized it wasn’t wrapped. The gift  _ was _ made of that bright cloth. And then he recognized it. It was one of Taako’s Sizzle It Up! aprons, but the words were different. Angus was only five, but he knew enough about letters and words to know that.

“What’s it say, Uncle ‘Ko?”

He pulled the apron on over his head and Taako moved around to help him tie it in the back.

“Sizzle it up with Taaquito, my dude.”

Angus wiggled in place, excited, until Taako had finished tying a bow. Then he turned around and hugged his uncle tightly.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Taako grinned and ruffled the boy’s hair.

“Come on, let’s go talk cake. I like your style. Cookies on top... That’s rad. You thinking like chocolate chip or like-”

“Macaroooons!”

Angus threw his hands in the air as he yelled it and Taako stared at him, trying not to laugh. Then he nodded.

“Bold... Alright, let’s do this, Sous Chef Angus. One cake with macarons on top coming right up for the birthday boy.”

* * *

Angus pushed himself up, spitting grass and dirt out of his mouth.

“Stupid halfway doesn’t even know enough to stay down when he gets hit.”

Another one of the kids shoved him hard and Angus rolled, trying to get his hand on the small wand he’d been given for his most recent birthday. He only knew one cantrip so far, but hopefully, it would be enough to scare the bigger kids off. The other kids were all human, a fact he’d only noticed after he’d come over to try and play. And he couldn’t get the attention of adults, or at least not the adults he trusted. Daddy and Uncle Taako were talking to some carpenter about getting a new wheel for the wagon.

“Leave me alone!”

Angus had managed to get so he was at least on his back with his wand in his hands, and he shouted at them with tears in his eyes. The kids grew wary now and started to back off. Angus took his opportunity and ran. He ducked and weaved between people in the bustling corridor until he spotted a familiar set of denim pants through the crowd. He slammed into his father from behind and Barry stumbled slightly before turning. Taako took one looked at Angus sobbing into Barry’s shirt and then looked back at the man they’d been talking too.

“The soonest you can do that wheel, we’d appreciate it, Mr. Waxmen.”

Steven Waxmen frowned slightly and looked back the way Angus had come from.

“I can do it right now. I just need to grab Magnus so I’ve got an extra set of hands.” He looked at Barry and Angus again. “And if you want to wait in my shop, I’m certain my daughter wouldn’t mind. Should’ve guessed some folks might not take to your boy... I keep forgetting how much things’ve changed around here since Kalen...”

Then he shook his head and went to grab his tools. Barry and Taako exchanged a look.

“I’ll wait here, Taako. That’ll give Ango some time to calm down.”

“That’s fine by me.” Taako bent down and picked up a pebble. He rolled it in his hand and grinned as it turned to pure chocolate. “Hey Angus, why don’t you take this and go with your dad? I’ll make sure this guy fixes the wagon up alright.”

Angus nodded, taking the sweet. He popped it into his mouth and turned his face back towards Barry. Taako was worried, but there wasn’t much he could do right now. It wasn’t like he knew who had done this, after all. All he could do was get them on the road sooner.


	4. A Half-Remembered Melody

Angus had been growing, and so had Sizzle It Up, but there was only so much room for the cooking show to grow before the novelty began to fade and Taako started to worry. There were only so many times people would pay to see him cook, only so many towns, only so far he could stretch the act. And there was the matter of Angus. Taako and Barry both knew the little boy needed more than they could give him living in a wagon traveling Faerun. Not, of course, that that meant either of them knew what to do. Which was how Taako found himself looking for a job from Craig the gnome.

* * *

Taako slammed back into the wagon, a piece of paper held in one hand.

“Barold! Necro-nerd! I found a job and they’ll take both of us!”

Barry set the last of the clean dishes down on a shelf and secured them in place.

“Yeah? Wait... both? Taako, one of us should uh... should stay with Angus.”

Angus was sitting on his bed, a book in his hands. He closed the detective novel and set it aside.

“I’m not a baby, Dad. I can take care of myself for a couple days while you and Uncle ‘Ko go work.”

Taako nodded and Barry looked uncertain. In the end, though, they needed the money and that concern had to win out.

“We’ll bring the wagon with us as far as we can and... and uh... figure it out from there, okay, buddy?”

Angus agreed immediately, but Taako was less sure. But Angus was Barry’s kid, not his, so Taako just made sure his complaint was registered.

* * *

Barry took a breath, adjusting the sword on his belt. He had no idea why he had agreed with Taako’s ‘pretend you’re a fighter because necromancers are scary’ plan. He didn’t even know how to actually use a sword beyond pointy end goes in squishy bit. Well, hopefully, he wouldn’t need to. Hopefully, he could just ride with Gundren and everything would be fine and if they got attacked he could just cast a spell without anyone noticing what he’d actually cast.

“Taako, you ready?”

The elf in question hopped out of the back of the wagon and sauntered over.

“Cha’boy went with the flats. I figured heels in a potential combat encounter was a bad idea.” When Barry looked like he was going to say something, Taako cut him off. “Don’t worry about me. Focus on keeping yourself alright, my dude. I’m going to be with Muscleman Beefcake and the damn cleric. I’ll stay behind them the whole time and just blast shit. You’re the one playing meat shield.”

Barry nodded, a little smile on his face.

“I know, Taako. You’re a grown-ass elf and you can handle yourself. I just don’t want to see my best friend get hurt.”

Angus slid down out of the wagon and ran over, looking back and forth between them.

“Are you leaving now?”

Barry hugged his son tightly.

“Taako’s here for another hour or two, but I’ve gotta go early, Ango. Remember the Sending spell I taught you? If anything happens, you use that. Alright?”

Angus nodded a little.

“I will, Dad. Promise. When are you going to be home?”

Barry looked at Taako over Angus’ head and Taako shrugged. That hadn’t entirely been part of the contract.

“Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. You stay here. No magic while we’re gone unless you absolutely have to and there’s leftovers you can reheat.”

Angus laughed and hugged his father again.

“I remember, Dad. And I’ll be fine. You and Uncle ‘Ko will be careful, right?”

“Of course we will, buddy.”

* * *

Barry wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve as they followed Gundren and this orc Killian towards the Rockseeker Vault. Taako was doing alright and the other two, Magnus and Merle, they seemed fine. They also probably hadn’t noticed the few spells Barry had snuck in under his awful attempts at using a sword. Gundren was arguing with Killian about something or other, but Barry couldn’t bring himself to care. He had walked into the room and straight to the skeleton sitting against the wall. The giant vault doors and the supposed treasure behind them didn’t hold his attention nearly as much as this simple skeleton and its bright red robes. There was something sad about the figure, something that stirred an unnameable emotion deep inside him and threatened to tear him apart from the inside. And he had no idea why. Then he noticed the wooden handle of something, perhaps a staff, held under the skeleton’s arm.

Closing his hand around the curved handle of the staff, Barry felt a calm certainty hum through his veins. It felt like Candlenights and the perfect coffee, like late nights under the stars, like a half-remembered melody he had hummed to help his infant son sleep so many years ago. He pulled it out and watched as the skeleton crumbled. Turning around, Barry realized Taako was watching him.

“What the fuck, Barold? Did you really just find a magic umbrella?”

Barry looked down at the umbrella in his hand, turning it this way and that to get a better look at it. Then he shrugged and rested it on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I guess I did.”

Taako shook his head, grinning.

“You look like a clown.”

* * *

That was when the vault door opened and Barry thought, for just a moment, that the umbrella in his hand had jumped. He turned to see what was inside and felt his stomach drop as he stared at the black glass that filled the room. It made him sick. And there in the center was a charred corpse with a gauntlet raised high. That? That was worse.


	5. A Sort of Homecoming

Angus had already finished the book he’d planned on reading today and cleaned the wagon and he was starting to get bored. It seemed like Dad and Uncle ‘Ko had been gone forever, even if it had only been a few hours. He scooted off his trundle bed and tucked the book away. Might as well head outside to cook dinner. He was getting a fire started when he heard a sound like roaring in the direction of where the rest of his family had gone. When Angus looked up, the flint and steel fell from his shaking hands. Flames surged into the sky for an instant and then died away. Grabbing his wand out of his pocket, Angus ran towards the flames, towards his family.

* * *

Phandalin wasn’t burning, Phandalin was just gone. Barry knelt, one hand on the black glass, and looked up at Taako. Magnus was helping Merle out of the well behind them and Killian was looking around, a horrified look on her face.

“Taako, this is... It’s...”

“Pretty fucking awful is what it is, Barold.” Taako was looking at the gauntlet raised as high as the charred corpse of Gundren could hold it. “So, you said your boss wants this thing, right?”

He lifted the gauntlet up before Killian could say anything and turned around, just holding it. Barry shook his head and looked away. Something about that made his head hurt.

“Dad?”

Magnus turned, worry on his face as they heard the yelling coming towards them.

“Please tell me that’s not some kid who’s dad is in  _ this _ mess.”

Then Barry scrambled to his feet, nearly slipping on the slick glass.

“Ango?”

The half-elven boy running towards them looked scared and confused. He stopped at the edge of the circle, staring at it with wide eyes.

“Dad? What happened?”

Barry walked towards him, relieved.

“It’s okay, buddy. I mean... not okay, exactly. But, it’s safe.”

Angus ran then, closing the distance quickly and wrapping his arms around his dad’s waist. 

“I thought...I saw the fire and...”

Barry hugged Angus back, smoothing his hair down.

“Me and Taako are okay. Promise.”

Taako shoved the gauntlet into his pack as Killian pressed something on her bracer.

“I have to take you to our headquarters. The Director is going to want to hear about this. About you being able to handle that thing.”

Barry and Taako looked at each other while Angus looked at the others uncertainly. Barry nodded once and looked at Killian.

“I’m not going anywhere without my son.”

Killian sighed and then looked up at the glass sphere descending towards them.

“Fine. Whatever. But all of you and that  _ thing _ are coming with me, got it?”

Merle was staring at Barry and Angus, confusion on his face.

“You’ve got a kid, Benny?”  
  
Barry ignored the question. This wasn’t the first time Merle had gotten his name wrong and probably wouldn’t be the last either. 

* * *

They had piled into the sphere even though it was a bit cramped. Angus stayed close between Taako and Barry, eyeing the others curiously.

“Dad, what about my books?”

“They’ll be fine til we go get them, buddy. Promise.”

Angus had gone quiet again after that. His dad had sounded really stressed, his voice tight as he tried not to look down out of the glass sphere, as he held the strange umbrella tight in one hand. Uncle Taako wasn’t any more talkative, but he at least had his hat pulled down over his head, his arms crossed over his chest, and looked for all intents like he was sleeping. Magnus was looking all around, curious and seemingly excited. Merle was talking to Killian, trying to ask her questions about something or other. After what seemed like hours, the sphere landed and Killian got out. A man was standing there with the same sort of bracer on his arm and a look of curiosity on his face.

“Avi, I need the Director and I need her now.”

* * *

Lucretia hadn’t known what to expect when Killian had made her report. Four men who had encountered a Grand Relic and seemed to experience none of the thrall? Gods, and a body in a red robe? She had to keep herself composed though. There was no place for emotions on the moon. Not where the others could see it, not like this.

“Davenport?”

He was right there at her right hand in a moment, a smile on his face and nothing in his eyes. He looked up at her and opened his mouth to ask something but as always, only his name came out of his mouth. Lucretia forced iron into her spine and turned towards the double door that had opened at the end of the hall. Her heart skipped a beat when a half-elf boy was the first one to walk in, his eyes darting all over behind huge, round glasses.

“Slow down, Ango.”

Lucretia recognized that voice and she wanted to cry. Barry Bluejeans. Taako. Magnus Burnsides. Merle Highchurch. They walked in together. They walked in like they knew each other. They walked in like it was the old days on the Starblaster. Any minute now, one of them would crack a joke and this whole thing would be a nightmare. It would be behind them. 

“Dad, look at this! This is so cool!”

“Angus, stay with me. At least until we find out what’s going on.”

But no. This wasn’t a dream and they didn’t know her. She looked them over again and saw the differences. Taako stayed close to Barry, wariness in his eyes. Barry, gods, Barry looked so much older. It was wrong to see. As wrong as the age that showed in the lines around Magnus’ eyes. Then she noticed the ring Magnus wore and blinked a few times. He’d gotten married? Magnus “I’m going to fight the Power Bear” Burnsides had gotten  _ married _ . Before she could really devote much thought to what sort of woman would have attracted his attention or wonder if he had been happy, she saw the umbrella that Barry had just swung up to rest on his shoulder. It was bright red and Lucretia would have recognized it anywhere. It was the umbra staff. Lup’s umbra staff. They really had found her body, then. But where was she? Lucretia couldn’t worry about that right now though. Doing what she did best these days, she compartmentalized that away to be dealt with later and put on her best smile. Gesturing broadly, she looked down at her friends from the dias she stood on.

“Welcome, all of you, to the Bureau of Balance.”


	6. What Did You Remember?

The Director tapped the base of her staff forcefully on the floor and the adults collapsed. Angus stared at her in confusion, gripping his little wand tightly.

“What did you do?”

She looked down at him, showing no emotions he could read. 

“I put them to sleep. We’re going to take them to the Test of Initiation and-“

Angus had moved closer to her, raising his wand.

“Bullshit, Uncle ‘Ko is immune to magical sleep. He’s an Elf.”

For just a moment, there was a flicker of surprise on her face and then she smiled, holding one hand out to him.

“I promise I haven’t hurt any of them, Angus. Would you like to watch the test with me from my viewing box?”

He still seemed wary, but he pocketed his wand almost reluctantly. 

“Alright. But you better not try anything funny because...because...” He hesitated for a moment, trying to think up something that would sound intimidating coming from a ten-year-old half-Elf. “Because I’m the world’s greatest detective and I’ll know.”

* * *

With the Test of Initiation over and done with, Barry Bluejeans sat on the edge of the bed in the new dorm they’d been assigned and tried to wrap his mind around it all. She had known he was a wizard, not a fighter. The test had involved brain and not brawn, logic and reason, and magic. He’d passed, of course. But now Magnus and Merle knew he had magic and that he had lied before. What’s more, he kept remembered  _ something _ about that gauntlet they’d founded. The Phoenix Fire Gauntlet. He wasn’t sure. He couldn’t really be sure. But some part of him was certain now that that gauntlet had something to do with whatever had happened to Angus’ mom. Angus flopped onto the bed beside him, looking tired.

“Dad, you promised we could go get my books. What if they’re gone? What if someone stole them? What if-?”

Barry lay back as well so they were both staring up at the top bunk.

“I think I remembered what happened to your mom, buddy.”

That stopped Angus in his tracks. He opened and closed his mouth a few times and then finally spoke, his voice quiet.

“From the Void Fish?”

Barry nodded slowly.

“Yeah, buddy.”

“But... but that means that... The Relic War?”

Angus hugged his dad tightly, burying his face in his shirt. They almost never talked about Angus’ mom. It was too much, too many questions. But they maybe had an answer for the first time ever. Barry could dimly remember a note, a flash of a smile. She left because of the Gauntlet. He just didn’t remember anything else. That was all that had come back when he drank the ichor. Angus sat up then, trying to smile.

“It’s okay though, Dad. I don’t need a mom. I’ve got you and Uncle ‘Ko.”

Sitting by the foot of the bed, the umbra staff fell from where it was propped against Barry’s pack. They both looked over, confused. Then Angus slid off the bed to go grab it.

“Careful with that, buddy. It launched Merle across the room in that cave.”

Angus only hesitated for a moment and then picked it up. The wooden handle felt warm against his skin and he smiled up at Barry.

“Maybe it just didn’t like him.”

The door opened then and Taako walked in, tossing his hat onto the bunk over Barry’s head.

“What’re you nerds up to? Cha’boy was thinking about hunting up a kitchen on this bitch of a moon and seeing if I can’t make us something worth eating.”

Angus put the umbra staff back where it had initially been, all interest in it gone in the light of Taako’s cooking. As he ran out of the room ahead of them, Taako held Barry back.

“What’d you remember?”

Barry stopped, confused.

“Taako, I-”

“I saw the look on your face, Barold. Also, seriously, I blurted out the word sour cream. It can’t be that bad. Spill.”

Barry started walking towards the door with a sigh.

“Just some stuff about Ango’s mom. Nothing... nothing  _ useful.  _ But at least now I know she meant to come back, you know?”

Taako shook his head a little and put a hand on Barry’s shoulder.

“Hey, that’s something. And now we know you didn’t have the worst fucking taste ever.” He grinned as they both went to follow Angus out into the hall. “I was thinking maybe a pan-fried chicken with a nice crispy outer crust.”

Barry nodded in agreement, a smile on his face again.

“Gotta get that good crunch.”

“Precisely, my dude. Now let’s go find your kid before he runs right off the fucking moon.”

* * *

Angus was supposed to be in bed. That wasn’t even a question. It was well after midnight and half-elf boys needed their sleep. But there were some things more important than sleep, like mysteries. That was why Angus Bluejeans was creeping around outside the dome where the rest of his family was either asleep or trancing. Sneaking out hadn’t even been hard, not with Merle snoring like a train. It wasn’t until he got to the door of the artificer’s workshop that his plan broke down. It was locked and no one had taught him a spell for that yet. Something about his dad not wanting the liability. He tried the knob a few times and then just pushed. Nothing. The door was locked. He started to turn to leave when he saw a figure standing in front of him. Angus tensed up, ready to run if he was in trouble. Then the dragonborn woman grinned and held up a set of lockpicks.

“If you’re gonna try to break into Leon’s workshop, you really should learn to pick locks. What’s your name, kid? I’m Carey.”

He grinned back at her, suddenly excited.

“I’m Angus Bluejeans, Ma’am!”

She reached out to ruffle his hair and turned towards the door.

“So, what’re you looking for in here, Angus Bluejeans. It’s not exactly safe if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

He nodded, very seriously.

“I know. I’m just looking for the book with all the magic items in it. I wanted to know if it had anything about the Grand Relics.”

Carey looked surprised and put her picks away.

“Which one were you curious about?”

Angus looked down.

“The Phoenix Fire Gauntlet. The one my dad and my uncle brought back today.”

Carey held out her hand.

“I know just the person to tell you all about it. Have you met Killian yet?”


	7. Only More Questions

“Hey, Killian, you awake?”

Carey pushed through the door and Angus followed right along behind her. The orc in question was stretching on the floor and she smiled up at Carey. Sitting up, she waved lazily at the pair. 

“I’m not surprised that you’re awake at this hour, but that’s a kid. He should be asleep. And did you seriously  _ already _ steal the new guy’s kid.”

Carey laughed and sat on Killian’s bed.

“He sort of stole himself, right, Angus?”

Angus made a face. He didn’t like being talked about when he was right there. But he dropped to sit on the floor and nodded. 

“Carey said you could tell me about the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet.”

Killian’s gaze snapped over to Angus and she frowned a little. Carey put a hand on Killian’s shoulder.

“Hey, it’s cool, right? The Director destroyed it, so he can’t possibly be feeling the thrall.”

“You’re right. Of course.” Killian relaxed and then nodded to Angus. “Alright, half-pint, what do you want to know?”

His pointed ears drooped just slightly, a banner for his emotions almost like his uncle’s.

“My Dad remembered some stuff about my mom when he drank that void fish ichor stuff and he thinks she was going after it. What’d it do?”

Carey and Killian traded a look and Carey shook her head.

“Sorry, buddy, but... it destroyed things. That’s it. If your mom went looking for the Gauntlet, she’s dead.”

Angus nodded a little and Killian moved to sit next to him.

“Remember the black glass? That’s what it did. It just burned everything off and left  _ glass _ .”

The little boy pulled his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly.

“That’s... that’s awful. Why would anyone make something like that?”

Killian hesitated and then put an arm around his small shoulders.

“It was the Red Robes. Anyone told you about them yet?” When he shook his head, she continued. “They were a bunch of evil wizards, basically. The way the Director explained it, they made the Grand Relics because they could and damn the consequences, you know? So, we’re here to clean up the mess. Gotta save the world.”

Angus smiled at that.

“And now my dad and Uncle ‘Ko work here too. They’re gonna help save the world?”

“You better believe it, kid.”

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, Killian deposited a still-sleeping Angus between Barry and Taako.

“Carey found him sneaking around last night. I think you’ve got a rogue on your hands. Good luck.”

Barry blinked in confusion and turned to look at Taako.

“Wasn’t he in bed still asleep when we left? I could’ve sworn...”

Taako rolled his eyes.

“Illusions, my dude. We got duped by a ten-year-old.”

Taako shook Angus’ shoulder and the little boy opened his eyes slowly. Barry put an arm around him and slid an apple over.

“Morning, buddy. Want to explain where you’ve been all night?”

Angus groaned and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Which one of them snitched?”

Magnus dropped a full plate of food in front of him and then smiled at Barry.

“Seemed like you had your hands full. Thought I’d help.”

“Oh... uh... Thanks, Magnus. Ango, answer the question. You’re not in trouble, I just want to know, okay?”

Angus yawned and reached for a piece of bacon.

“Had a mystery I had to solve. I was doing research.”

Barry tousled his hair and smiled.

“Next time, let me know, okay?”

Angus nodded, his mouth full of food. Taako grinned and put more toast on Angus’ plate.

“Alright, time for the rest of you chucklefucks to get introduced. Angus, this is Magnus and Merle. They’re a pair of idiots but neither of them beefed it too bad in Phandalin, so I guess they’re on the team now. And, you two, this is my nephew, Angus.”

Magnus blinked and then looked back and forth between Taako and Barry.

“Nephew? I thought... uh...”

Merle didn’t pussyfoot about it.

“Wait, you mean you and Benji aren’t a couple? I woulda sworn.”

Barry and Taako exchanged a look for a long moment, Barry confused and Taako horrified.

“Holy fuck, no, my dude. Absolutely not.”

Barry laughed.

“Taako’s not my type. He’s too high maintenance.”

Killian dropped into an empty seat with her own tray of breakfast and looked at Taako curiously.

“So does that mean you’ve got a sister, Taako? Because Angus looks just like you.”

Taako snorted derisively.

“As if. Nope, cha’boy is one of a kind.”

Carey frowned slightly.

“But you said nephew. And seriously, he looks just like you.”

Taako shrugged dramatically, hands up.

“Life’s a mysterious bitch like that.”

Barry laughed and reached to pour Angus a glass of juice.

“Taako’s basically my brother, when he’s not being melodramatic anyway.”

Angus laughed, reaching for the glass.

“There are times when Uncle ‘Ko isn’t being melodramatic? When? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in real life.”

Taako rolled his eyes.

“Guess who just lost borrowing Taako’s hat privileges. It’s you, Ango.”

Angus sighed and finished his breakfast. He had things to think about anyway. Like why the Director had been watching that whole conversation from her own table like it was the most important thing happening in the room. 


	8. A Perfectly Safe Train Ride

Barry tried to keep a hand on Angus as they walked towards the train. The little boy was excited, practically bouncing up and down as he tried to get a look at the Rockport Limited. Apparently, this was just like something he’d read in a Caleb Cleveland novel and Barry was coming seriously close to regretting not just asking Carey and Killian to watch Angus. But the Director had said it would be a perfectly safe train ride, so here they were.

“Dad! Look! Look!”

“Yeah, I see it, Ango.”

Angus tugged on his arm, pointing towards the platform.

“No, not the  _ train _ , Dad. That’s Jess the Beheader! She’s so cool!”

Taako caught up with them then, Merle and Magnus just behind. Merle would be taking the role of Leeman Kessler. Magnus was his brother, or bodyguard, or something like that. Taako and Barry would be reprising their old roles as a traveling show with Barry’s son along. Assuming that anyone actually asked. Privately, Barry didn’t think they really needed this much security. Wouldn’t the Voidfish cover the secrecy? It wasn’t as though there was anyone out there who could remember through it. 

“Jess the Beheader huh?” Taako looked over into the crowd. “She’s a heel, right?”

Angus was nodding excitedly. Barry shook his head a little. He didn’t follow Chaos Stadium matches like Angus and Taako did, but he was glad they had something to do. Maybe Taako could even angle an introduction for Angus? Well, they could figure that out once they were on board. And he could see a man with a rainbow bowtie on standing the doorway of the train beckoning for them to board.

“Time to go, you two.”

* * *

 

Soon enough, they’d taken their seats and Angus was looking out the window excitedly as they pulled away from the platform. Magnus and Merle were sitting ahead of them, trying to maintain the facade of being two separate groups. Taako had taken out a cookbook and was scribbling notes in the margins. Barry looked around the train car curiously. Then he pulled out the newspaper he’d picked up at the station and started to read. Splashed across the front cover was the title “Rockport Slayer strikes again!”. Barry frowned slightly as he began to read through the article. A serial killer and thief was on the loose in Rockport, and seemingly taking body parts of their victim. That sounded like the sort of thing a necromancer might get up to. The bad kind of necromancer, anyway. There was a sound and Barry looked up. Just Angus getting his book out. That was fine. Barry’s gaze dropped back to the newspaper in front of him. The killer was still at large and there were no suspects. The city council was even considering screening people before they got on the Rockport Limited to make sure they might not be the killer trying to escape. Great, that was  _ exactly _ what his anxiety needed when he was trapped in a tin can careening down train tracks at high speed. He looked around the car. It was just them, a half-elf in what looked like the weirdest wizard robes he’d ever seen, and the dwarf woman Angus was excited about. Jess the Beheader? Definitely no murderers here. He could just flip to the back of the paper and find the crossword and try to relax. He had done just that and was leaning in when he saw Magnus get up. It seemed like their resident fighter was harassing the train’s wizard again. Jenkins? That was probably his name. With a sigh, Barry flipped his newspaper over and tried to focus on that instead. It was probably better that way, honestly.

* * *

 

About an hour later, Angus tugged on Barry’s sleeve, trying to get his attention.

“Dad, does the train have a bathroom?”

Barry sighed and got up, edging carefully past Taako who was fast asleep.

“Come on, Ango, let’s go look.”

Angus got up, following after him. They were halfway down the train car with Barry looking around for Jenkins since he didn’t really know where he was going when they heard the scream. Barry nearly jumped out of his skin, grabbing his wand out of the back pocket of his jeans as Angus streaked past him running towards the screaming.

“Angus!” Barry took off after him. “What are you doing?”

Angus didn’t respond. A moment later, Barry caught up and found that wizard from before and Jess the Beheader standing over a decapitated body. Jenkins.

“Oh... shit.”

Angus moved closer and Barry put a hand on his shoulder to pull him back.

“Buddy, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Then he looked at the other two. “Do uh... do you know what happened?”

The wizard cleared his throat nervously. He was pale and looked a little sick. Graham. That was his name. Barry finally remembered it as the man explained that he’d found the body like that.

“It looks like he was... well, beheaded.”

Graham glanced at Jess the Beheader just as Magnus, Merle, and Taako joined the group. Taako looked like he was only barely awake but Magnus leaned in.

“Beheaded  _ and _ behanded.”

Angus opened his mouth, an excited look on his face.

“Dad, it’s-”

Taako looked at Jess, one eyebrow arched.

“Beheaded,  _ huh? _ ”

She bristled noticeably.

“That’s a bit. That I do for Chaos Stadium. I don’t actually run around beheading people, whoever you are.”

Angus raised his hand, practically bouncing on his toes.

“No, no, it’s-”

Taako stood straighter, suddenly perfectly awake.

“I’m  _ Taako _ , you know,  _ from TV. _ ”

Before another one of the adults could talk, Angus shouted at the top of his lungs.

“It wasn’t a weapon! Look how the wounds line up with the door.”

Merle leaned in, intent on getting a closer look at the body. That was when they heard the roar somewhere above them and Barry groaned. So much for a perfectly safe train ride.


	9. Angus Bluejeans and the Rockport Slayer

Taako looked up just in time to see a creature that almost looked like a flaming crab moving along the ceiling.

“Fuck!”

He grabbed Angus and dove into the next car. The others were right behind him and Magnus slammed the door. They could hear a torrent of flames against the door of the car and Barry looked pale.

“We’re not fighting that thing, right?”

Taako stood and helped Angus to his feet.

“Cha’boy’s not feeling it. Not with Magnus with no shield.” Then he shoved the Umbrastaff into Barry’s hands. “You forgot this. I tripped over the damn thing trying to follow you.”

Barry shoved his old wand back in his pocket and held the Umbrastaff with both hands.

“Sorry.”

It was hard to tell if he was speaking to Taako or to the umbrella he held against his chest. Magnus was frowning at the door.

“I don’t like that that thing was there right when we found Jenkins like that, you know?”

Angus fixed his glasses that had gotten knocked askew and looked over.

“What do you mean, Sir? Do you think the killer left it?”

Angus had pulled out his own small wand and was looking towards the door with impulsive determination in his eyes. Barry adjusted his glasses nervously and glanced back at the door as well.

“I... I think we might have a bigger problem than uh... than that.” He paused for a moment. “Did uh... did you see the paper? About the Rockport Slayer?”

* * *

 Angus couldn’t believe this was really happening. A real honest to goodness mystery that he could solve  _and_  with Jess the Beheader! Alright, sure, it wasn’t great that Mr. Jenkins had gotten murdered. This wasn’t exactly the kind of mystery that Angus really wanted to be solving at ten years old, but he was also sure he could. But a serial killer was very bad and he’d thought Mr. Jenkins was... alright, Uncle Ko was right and Mr. Jenkins was sort of a shitty wizard but still! That didn’t mean he deserved to be killed. Especially not like that. No one deserved to be beheaded  _and_  behanded. But now he had to focus, consider the scene in front of him. They needed a list of everyone on board the train and they needed to know if anyone had a weapon. Then he went pale. Jess the Beheader always had her axe. Even the newest Battlefest fans knew that she could summon her axe to her hand any time she wanted. That was what soulbound meant. Angus looked up then. He had to assume that everyone was a suspect until he could prove otherwise. Except his dad and Uncle Ko and Magnus and Merle. They weren't suspects because they couldn't possibly be. He'd been with them the whole time. He reached over to tug on his dad's shirt.

"Dad, how many people are on the train? Do we have a list? I'm trying to figure out a motive, but I need a list of suspects first."

For a long moment, Dad and Uncle Taako exchanged a look and then Barry shrugged.

"I dunno, bud, but I bet we can figure it out. Can't be too many."

* * *

Merle and Magnus had gone to find out if the engineer was alright, leaving Barry and Taako watching while Angus worked on the case. They found all of the passengers, and there weren't many, and gathered them all in one place to make sure no one else got hurt. But that still left them with an awful lot of questions about what had happened. Angus had managed to rule everyone out and he was beginning to get frustrated. There had to be something he was missing. Some key that would make all of this make sense. Then he stopped and looked around. 

"Uncle Taako, did Mr. Jenkins have his rod?"

Taako turned, looking over at him with a confused look on his face.

"What do you mean, bubbeleh? Like his magic rod for his shitty pleasure room?"

Angus nodded vehemently and then adjusted his glasses where they'd started to slip.

"That one. Did he have it on him?" When Taako shook his head, a thoughtful look crossing his face, Angus snapped. "That's it! The killer took it so they could get... somewhere. And we saw that no one was in the caboose with the luggage, right? But what if they were and we were just in a fake one?" 

Angus jumped up and started running towards the back of the train, pulling his small wand out as he ran.

"Dad! You've gotta get us into that last car! I figured out who the killer is and he's gonna get the Oculus if we don't hurry!"

Barry gripped the umbrastaff tightly, racing after his son. As they ran, Angus shouted back.

"It's got to do with the safe. The one you can only open with the engineer's hands."

Barry skidded to a stop just behind Angus and looked down.

"Don't you mean 'that only the engineer can open'?"

Angus looked deadly serious.

"No, Dad, I mean that you can only open with the engineer's hands. Because that's what Mr. Jenkins is doing. He's not really dead." He pointed towards the caboose. "And that's not really the luggage car."

* * *

When they arrived back on the moon base, they were tired, battered, and bruised. Angus had a black eye and Barry had never been more proud of his son. They handed the Oculus over to Davenport and went to go settle back into Bureau of Balance normal. Or at least as normal as things could get. Barry dropped onto his bunk and Angus looked over at him, coming over a moment later to sit next to him. 

"Hey Dad, I've got sort of a funny question."

"What's up, Ango?"

Angus took off his glasses, playing with them in his hand for a moment before he put them back on.

"Did you notice that Davenport looked at the Oculus funny? Like it made him sad? Like he knows something about it?"


	10. Practice Makes Perfect

Barry was walking through the halls of the Bureau of Balance, a book in his hand and a song floating through his mind as it often did. Like other times when these particular notes came to him, he wished he could find a piano and play until his tired mind remembered what was supposed to go with it, what was supposed to fill in the gaps. It wasn't like the Director had much for them to be doing right now while Seekers looked for the next Relic for them to go collect, so there was nothing to keep him occupied. Nothing to keep his scattered mind from replaying those same chords over and over. Angus had been asking for something to do, so Barry had let him spend some quality time with Magnus while he trained with Carey and Killian. Hopefully, that would keep him suitably occupied for at least a while. Carey had been teaching Angus a few new tricks, tricks Barry wasn't convinced were entirely legal, but at this point, he'd given up. It was probably better that Angus know how to pick a lock or break in through a window than not. Particularly if their missions were going to keep going sideways, even the ones that were supposed to be nice and safe.

And then something caught his ear, a sound that stirred something deep inside him and briefly lifted the solid weight in his chest. It was the sorrowful sound of a violin, the melody hanging in the air like the instrument was crying. Picking up his heels, Barry ran towards the source of the music, needing to know why it called to that part of him, needing to know who it was. He burst into a room deep in the heart of the moon base and found himself staring up at the Void Fish's tank. And seated in front of it with his violin on his shoulder and bow to the string was Johann. For a long moment, Barry just stood there, listening to the music as he watched the bard move his hands over the strings of the instrument. Barry felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Was Angus' mother a bard? Had she played violin? He couldn't remember and the more he tried to, the more his head ached. It felt like he was trying to beat past a wall and there was nothing he could do about it. He took a shaky breath and leaned against the door frame, tears in his eyes as the song died away. And when Barry looked up again, he could see the many thousands of lights in the bell of the Void Fish twinkling with pleasure at a meal well enjoyed.

Johann turned, looking up at the man standing in the doorway and gave him a sad smile. He tucked the violin back into the case, closing the latches one at a time with a solid click. He lifted it and then gathered up his sheet music with a sigh. Barry finally shook himself out of the trance he was in and took a few steps forward, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"Hey, uh... that was... that was amazing. Do you always play for the uh... the Void Fish? Or...?"

He trailed off and Johann's sad smile grew, though it never quite seemed to look happy. 

"Yeah, I'm the one who feeds the Void Fish. Since it mostly eats knowledge, you know? It likes music a lot." For a moment he was quiet, then he looked at Barry a little oddly. "Like the song?"

Barry wasn't sure how to answer that question. How did you describe the feeling of something you couldn't remember, couldn't understand, ripping your heart out and shredding it into pieces on the floor just because of the sound of violin music hanging in the air. Instead of trying, he smiled at Johann and held out a hand.

"It was amazing. I'm Barry. I uh... I'm one of the Reclaimers. I uh... I also play piano, if you're ever looking to maybe jam?"

Johann's smile did brighten just a bit then.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm Johann." 

* * *

 

Angus sat on the floor in the gym watching Magnus, Carey, and Killian training. It was pretty boring so far. Mostly they were just fighting. He had been hoping they would do something interesting at least. Not magic, of course. No one here did magic but him. But maybe Carey would use some of her neat tricks like the disappearing powder or the throwing knives or anything. She had picked Magnus' pocket mid-fight once which was pretty cool. So he figured that was alright, and he could ask for tips on throwing knives when they were done. After all, they had to keep practicing so they could be ready when a new mission came from the Director. He was just a kid that wanted to learn things. Even if those things were very, very cool. Soon enough though, Magnus had gone to grab his water bottle and was talking to Killian about something. Carey was stretching a bit and Angus got up, running over towards her.

"Ma'am, are you still gonna show me how to throw knives the right way? Do I need practice ones or do I get to start with the real ones? Do you have any that are small enough for my hands? Can we-?"

Carey reached out to ruffle his hair and then laughed, cutting him off.

"Don't worry, kiddo. We've got plenty of sets your size. You're basically halfling sized, after all." She led him over to a door on the side where they stored spare weapons. "We'll just pick you out a set and get a target set up for lesson time. And keep the knives. You never know when you'll need them. Still got the picks I gave you?"

When Angus pulled out the little leather packet, Carey nodded and then pointed at the door.

"If you want to throw knives, get the door open, Bluejeans."

A few minutes and only some frustrated muttering later, Angus had pushed the door open and scrambled inside to grab a set of throwing knives off the shelf. They were a good size and weight for his small hands and tucked into a leather case he could attach to his belt. Carey showed him how and then how to get them out quickly.

"Later, I'll grab you a kit to keep them clean and sharp, but let's get started on the right form for throwing." 

"Thanks, Ma'am!"

Angus was practically bouncing as they went to go set up the wooden target. Killian and Magnus had found a place to sit where they could watch and be out of the way of any stray knives while Angus got a grip on the basics and he waved over at them before very seriously going to stand at the line where Carey told him to.

"The most important part is knowing when to let go, okay?"


End file.
